


minute by minute

by coffee_o



Category: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Genre: F/F, Fluff, but the focus is mostly on chris, side hibimiku, tsubamaria if u squint, you can also take this as hibimikuchris if you want
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2020-06-02 20:48:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19449265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffee_o/pseuds/coffee_o
Summary: “This lost puppy followed me home.” That’s the first thing Chris says when she opens her apartment door, even before Miku could welcome her home.“Mikuuu~” A figure flies past Chris the instant Miku comes into view, throwing herself over the dark-haired girl.Chris sighs in exasperation.(In which Miku borrows Chris’s kitchen, Hibiki decides to gatecrash, and Chris, for once, doesn’t threaten to kick them out.)Update: Chapter 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by that one (1) memoria card in xdu where miku borrows chris's kitchen to practice cooking

“Feel free to use the kitchen however you want,” Chris says, ushering the girl in before locking the door behind her. 

“Mm, thank you, Chris.” Miku offers an appreciative smile. “Sorry for the intrusion.” 

“It’s fine.” Chris waves off the apology. “What are you trying to make this time for that idiot? Ah— you can put your bag by the couch.” 

“Hmm, a special style of okonomiyaki with Hibiki’s favorite food.” Miku pauses. "Hibiki has been talking about wanting to try something new for a while." 

_That lucky idiot._ Chris thinks that Miku spoils Hibiki too much sometimes. But with how attached the two are toward each other, and just how much the two of them mean to each other, Chris can’t really find it in herself to complain. In fact, it’s more strange to _not_ see Miku with Hibiki. 

Miku places her school bag on the couch. She doesn’t miss the familiar white plush that sits nearby, one of its long floppy ears covering its eye. Her lips twitch slightly and she lets out a silent chuckle. It seems that Chris has been treasuring the rabbit plush that she and Hibiki had gifted her for her birthday. 

“What? What are you laugh—” Chris’s face immediately reddens when she realizes that she had left her plush out. “It’s not what you think it is!” Words of denial are already at the tip of her tongue but Miku only gives her a knowing look, an amused glint reflected in her eyes. 

It’s a little adorable how Chris sometimes can’t be honest with herself. But the fact that the rabbit plush is even in the living room makes her happy. 

“That aside—” Chris clears her throat, diverting the conversation away from a potentially embarrassing one. “—do you need any help?” 

“It’s fine,” Miku shakes her head. “You’ve already lent me your kitchen. Besides, I want to do this myself. But if it’s fine with you, do you mind being my taster again?” 

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Chris’s reply is instantaneous. She moves to the couch in the living room, sitting sideways as she observes Miku, trusting the raven-haired girl to know her way around her kitchen. It isn’t the first time Miku’s over so Chris knows that she doesn’t have to worry much. She’d be even more worried if it’s someone like Hibiki or Tsubasa who’s using her kitchen. 

“I’ll call you when I’m done,” Miku assures her. Chris nods and turns away from the counter, letting her mind wander while she waits. 

It’s a strange feeling to have Miku over, Chris thinks. Miku’s the more sensible one compared to Hibiki, Kirika and Shirabe, and much _calmer_. Truth be told, she can count the number of times Miku had come over with a single hand— it’s more common for Miku to come over with Hibiki for god knows whatever dumb reason the latter has cooked up. 

It isn’t unwelcomed, in fact, it’s more of a curious feeling. There’s more silences, though not an uncomfortable one, and there’s something soothing about Miku’s presence that easily puts her at ease. Perhaps it’s the fact that Chris absolutely trusts Miku, or that Miku’s the first person who had ever extended a hand out to her, to become her _friend_ , without any strings attached that makes Chris feel comfortable with her. Heck, the girl had picked her up from some random and dirty alley and nursed her back to health. Hibiki might have been the one who taught her the importance of friendship and working together but Miku was the one who saw her when she was the most vulnerable and never once did she judge her. 

And she’s eternally grateful for that. 

She hears Miku humming lightly to herself while she shuffles around the kitchen. Before long, she finds herself yawning as her eyelids start to feel heavy, and before she even realizes it, she had dozed off.

* * *

When Miku is finally done with her okonomiyaki, she grins in satisfaction. She’s a little confident in her cooking this time, despite adding new ingredients that may appear counterintuitive or strange to some. She’s already imagining the sparkles in Hibiki’s eyes when she surprises the brunette with the okonomiyaki.

Thinking about it causes Miku’s smile to widen and a familiar wave of affection wells from within her as it always does when she thinks of Hibiki. Hibiki who's optimistic and kind to a fault, unable to leave people alone; the girl whose warmth is just like the shining sun. Just by being by Hibiki's side often brightens up her day. 

An unexpected groan from the living room snaps her out of her thoughts. 

“Chris?” Miku quickly removes her apron. When she receives no reply, Miku starts to worry. “Are you alright?” 

More silence. 

Within a few seconds, she’s in the living room, only to see Chris lying on the couch, seemingly asleep. It doesn’t take Miku long to notice that something is wrong as the silver-haired girl groans again, a pained expression crossing her features— as if she’s trapped in a nightmare. Chris begins to twitch, gritting her teeth. 

“Chris?! Chris!” Miku shakes the girl’s shoulder. Seeing the older girl’s facial expressions twisting and contorting in pain causes a sense of unease to rise within her. It reminds her of the first time she had found Chris and taken her to the house of Flower’s owner— and Miku has to suppress a shiver. Back then, she had noticed the bruises on Chris’s back but had never asked about it. It isn’t her nature to pry, and she could sense that Chris probably didn’t want to talk about it. But no doubt there’s some connection between the two. 

Chris still isn’t waking and Miku can only look over her friend, at a loss. She doesn’t want to use more force to wake Chris up but the silent gasps from the sleeping girl make her heart lurch. 

Just as she finally decides that it’s better to wake her friend up, a loud ring nearby causes her to jump. 

Chris immediately jolts up, gasping, eyes wide as she looks around wildly, as if trying to figure out where she is. 

Miku instinctively backs off, still startled. There’s a haunted dazed look in Chris’s eyes as the girl presses her palm against her forehead. Beads of sweat trickle down the sides of her head but Chris pays it no heed as she finally turns to Miku. 

Miku can only return the stare, words that she had wanted to say catching in her throat. The haunted look had vanished, replaced by one of relief and recognition. 

“Ah… it’s only you.” 

Chris seems to finally notice that her phone is ringing. The silver-haired girl fumbles for her phone to answer it, snapping Miku out of her stupor. 

“Chris here.” Chris’s voice is slightly hoarse. “... Alca-noise? Yeah, I’ll be right there.” 

A click. 

“That was from the old man. Duty calls so I gotta head to the scene.” Chris explains, frowning slightly. 

“Mm…” Miku nods. She hesitates. “Chris…?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Are you okay?” 

Chris looks up from her phone in surprise before she forces a weary smile. “Yeah, I am. Thanks for... worrying.” She looks away again, taking in a shaky breath. She’s fine. She _will_ be fine. She just has to focus on the mission and not think about her nightmare— something that she’s used to doing. 

“Chris…”

“You have the key right?” Chris stands up. 

“Mm,” Miku answers, biting her inner lips. If Chris doesn’t want to talk about it, she won’t probe. “I’ll be here when you come back just like last time, so don’t worry. All the best out there!” 

“Yeah, thank you,” Chris offers a more genuine smile. “I’ll be back soon.” 

* * *

“This lost puppy followed me home.” That’s the first thing Chris says when she opens her apartment door, even before Miku could welcome her home.

“Mikuuu~” A figure flies past Chris the instant Miku comes into view, throwing herself over the dark-haired girl. 

Chris sighs in exasperation.

“H-Hibiki?” Miku seems too surprised to return the gesture. 

“She found out that you’re in my house and begged me to let her come over,” Chris grunts out an answer, crossing her arms. Seriously, it’s only been several hours since Miku has left Hibiki’s side and the latter is already like that. 

“Mikuuu, I missed you~” 

“Yes, yes, Hibiki, I understand.” Miku’s expression immediately softens, patting the back of the girl’s head affectionately. “The spot by my sunshine is always the warmest!” Hibiki proclaims loudly, snuggling against Miku. 

Chris looks away pointedly, trying hard not to blush at the sight. _Geez, those two._ _Whose house do they think they are at?_

“Chris-chan was being mean to me…” 

“Oi, what did you say?”

“Ah right, I made some snacks while waiting. There’s plenty so let’s eat!” Miku cuts in, effectively breaking up an impending argument (or to be precise, stopped Chris from getting angrier). 

“Yay~! Miku’s home-cooked food!” Hibiki finally releases Miku, visibly excited. 

“Ah…” Chris starts awkwardly. Such situations aren’t really her forte and even though it’s her house, it still feels a little weird to come home to bright lights and home-cooked food. It’s almost homely _,_ enough to make her throat constrict as a new found warmth fills her heart. It’s a nice feeling— to be able to come home to someone and not for the first time, Chris envies Hibiki a little. 

Miku catches her gaze and only smiles, dragging Chris along. 

“Welcome home, Hibiki, Chris.” 

* * *

“And she’s already asleep.” Chris lets out a loud sigh at the sight of Hibiki lying on Miku’s lap, snoring away. “Geez, you guys should do things like this at home.” 

“She must’ve been tired.” Miku chuckles, stroking the girl’s fluffy hair gently. As expected, when Hibiki saw the okonomiyaki, her eyes had lit up instantly. Even Chris couldn’t resist smiling when she saw the look of pure joy and happiness on Hibiki’s face when she tasted Miku’s special dish. After they’ve finished dinner, Hibiki had claimed Miku’s lap as hers before she promptly fell asleep. 

“Hey, Chris…” 

“What is it?”

Miku hesitates, watching Chris’s expression carefully. She has already decided not to probe into Chris’s problems until the girl is ready but she knows that there are times where she should give someone a small push in the right direction. The silver-haired girl doesn’t give any indication that she’s bothered by what happened earlier before she went out but Miku still can’t help but worry. 

“You’re welcome to our dorm room whenever you’re lonely.” Miku decides to say instead. 

“L-Lone— Who says I’m lonely?! I’m not—” Chris’s voice rises up a notch but immediately quietens down when she remembers that Hibiki is still asleep. 

“—I know. That idiot said the same thing as you.” Chris grumbles without any bite. Of course Miku would say the same thing as Hibiki. Both of them are kind, sometimes _too kind,_ and Chris just… isn’t really used to such kindness.

“There are some things that are hard to talk about or you can't tell anyone... but we're always here for you." Miku continues, her voice soft but _understanding_. 

_Ah._

_She’s worried about me._ The sudden realization hits Chris like a speeding truck. Chris feels something in her heart tighten, and yet, there’s no denying the gentle warmth that’s growing in her chest. 

_Geez, those two… they’re really…_

“Hey, Miku… Thank you for… everything.” Chris finally says, meeting Miku’s gaze. There's much more she needs to thank Miku and Hibiki for, things that she still can't really put into words but _someday_.

“Mm, you’re welcome.” 

“Mmm… Miku…” a familiar voice suddenly interrupts the moment. “Oh Hibiki…” Miku giggles at the sleeptalking Hibiki, and continues to run her fingers through the brunette’s locks of hair. 

“That idiot is hopeless.” Chris sighs, shaking her head before she stands up. “I’ll get a blanket out so that she doesn’t catch a cold— even though idiots don’t really catch colds. But just in case.” 

“Thank you, Chris.” 

Chris only makes a sound of acknowledgment as heads to the guest room, remembering she had kept some extra blankets in wardrobe. 

When she returns to the living room several minutes later, the sight of Miku having dozed off greets her. Hibiki for some reason has already shifted positions and is now sleeping against Miku’s shoulder. 

_Guess that idiot isn’t the only one who is tired._

Quietly, Chris lays the blanket over the two of them, not missing how Hibiki’s hands are clasped over Miku’s. “Geez, even at a place like this they’re still like this.” 

Seeing how peaceful the two of them look, Chris decides to leave them be. Miku did make them dinner after all. It’s the least she can do. 

Maybe she has changed, Chris thinks. Before, she can’t even imagine having her own apartment— or even people who she can call _friends_. Friends, seniors, and juniors— they’re all foreign concepts to her before she joined the second division. People who she can share her worries and doubts with, people who she can share her happiness with, people who will stand by her and can rely on. She has finally found a place she can call _home._ She may still have a hard time confiding in people, slowly but surely—

She will get there. 


	2. sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsubasa demands a sleepover over at Chris's apartment a week later.
> 
> (Or, Chris and Maria end up talking throughout the night during the sleepover.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no idea where i'm going with this but i just wanted to write more symphogear/chris 
> 
> updated tag: tsubamaria if u squint

“I heard Tachibana and Kohinata spent a night here last week.” 

That’s the first thing Tsubasa says when Chris grudgingly opens her apartment door at 6 am, on a Saturday morning after she hears her doorbell ring. 

Chris doesn’t answer her. She has half a mind to just slam the door shut and go back to sleep. It’s still too early to receive any visitors — but she decides against it. It definitely isn’t because Tsubasa has an uncharacteristic child-like sparkle in her eyes. And it definitely _isn’t_ because Tsubasa’s her senior. 

She tries to blink the remnants of sleep away and stares at her unexpected guest. Who definitely looks more awake than she is. 

“Why are you here, senpai?” 

“Good morning, Yukine. Don’t you think it is a little unfair that both Tachibana and Kohinata get to spend a night here? You have never ever invited me. Even though I am your senior.” 

“Hah?” Chris only stares at Tsubasa, unable to really comprehend what the taller girl had just said.

Did her senior really come all the way to her apartment for this? At goddamn _six_ in the morning? She has so many questions and her head is already starting to hurt. 

“What I am saying is,” There’s a notable pause before Tsubasa continues, “Everyone else should also get a chance to a sleepover.”

It takes two whole seconds for Tsubasa’s words to register in her mind. 

“What?” She says eloquently. 

“We will have a sleepover here today,” Tsubasa states, patiently. 

Chris continues to stare at Tsubasa in bafflement. No— it isn’t as if she’s going to reject (really!) any of her potential guests because they have all visited her house before (read: barged into her house). It’s the notion of a sudden sleepover being suddenly thrust into her face before she’s fully awake that has her face scrunched up as if Dr Ver has suddenly appeared in front of them with a birthday cake. 

A sleepover. 

That day when Hibiki and Miku stayed over, it wasn’t because she had invited them. It just _happened_. 

A sleepover.

A sleep— 

“Yukine?”

Chris isn’t the type of person who hosts “friends hanging out together” things like a sleepover. Heck, she doesn’t even have friends until now. 

She knows she’s going to regret this but _still,_ she finds the words leaving her lips before she can change her mind. 

“Okay.” 

* * *

“So.” Maria begins, just as Chris steps foot into S.O.N.G.’s training room, and Chris already has a bad feeling about this. 

“I heard from Tsubasa that you’re hosting a sleepover at your apartment?” 

“Not of my own free will,” Chris grumbles before she starts her stretches. Judging by how Maria is already in her sports attire and boxing gloves looking slightly dishevelled, Chris figures that the Airgetlám user had already been here for a while. 

If you were to ask Chris a while back what kind of sports Maria does, boxing wouldn’t have been the first thing that came to Chris’s mind. Where had Maria learned how to box in the first place? 

“Ready?” Maria removes her gloves and takes her stance. 

“Bring it on.” Was the only thing Chris said before a fist came flying in her direction. 

She dodges with practised ease, getting into the familiar routine they’ve established for the past week. 

The wielders have been rotating between training partners to cover each other’s weaknesses and to get everyone used to unfamiliar fighting styles. Needless to say, hand-to-hand combat isn’t Chris’s forte. 

Even if she doesn’t learn how to fight with her fists, there are still ways Chris can learn to avoid punches and kicks. 

Her training with Maria is usually silent, though interspersed with rare small talks once in a while. So when Maria begins to speak, Chris is only mildly surprised. 

“Shirabe and Kirika are both coming. They said that you’d be lonely without them.” 

“What? _Who would_ —“ 

In that one second that Chris loses her concentration, she finds herself being plummeted to the ground. She groans at the stinging pain against her side. This one’s on her for breaking focus. But damn, Maria hits _hard_. 

“Who would feel lonely without them?!” Chris retorts as she stands up, massaging her now bruised side. She’s going to teach those two pipsqueaks a lesson after this. 

“Don’t say that. They’re actually really looking forward to it.” Maria chuckles, a hand on her hip as she watches Chris gather herself again. “They really do like you, you know. And they look up to you too.” That is why Maria has always trusted Chris to look after them — though Maria doesn’t say this part out loud. 

Chris hates how there’s already heat creeping up her neck and how her ears are already burning at the indirect compliment. 

“Shut up. Let’s just get back to training,” Chris mumbles her breath. 

Maria only grins cheekily, a knowing look on her face. 

Chris scowls. 

* * *

Chris regrets agreeing to the sleepover with every fibre of her being. 

It’s barely half an hour since everyone has arrived and her entire apartment is already a huge _loud_ mess. 

Hibiki and Kirika are already engaged in an eating contest in the living room, with Shirabe staring intently at them by Kirika’s side. Miku is predictably next to Hibiki, with an almost permanent look of resignation on her face, yet still regarding the girl fondly. 

Tsubasa and Maria are playing shogi at the other end of the table and if the smirk on Maria’s face is anything to go by, it seems like she’s winning (again). For someone who looks like she’ll be good at anything that’s remotely traditional or Japanese, her senior sure sucks at the game. 

Offhandedly, Chris wonders if there’s a way to let the ever-busy Elfnein drop by next time, even for a while. 

Standing by the side, not really doing anything in particular while she continues to watch her friends, it slowly dawns on Chris that she isn’t really as irritated as she thought she was. Maybe, without her realising it, she has already gotten used to such a crowd. She tries to imagine an empty apartment, with nothing but silence for company, a life where her friends from S.O.N.G. doesn’t exist — and feels herself frowning, chest tight, at the thought. She might not have batted an eye at such thoughts months ago but things have _changed._

And for the better. 

When Miku comes up to her, Chris blinks in surprise. 

“What’s wrong?” It’s rare for Miku to leave Hibiki’s side after all. 

Miku shakes her head, smiling slightly. “It’s nothing. I just wanted to check if you’re fine.” 

Chris squashes down the light feeling floating in her chest at Miku’s words. 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Chris mutters. She still hasn’t forgotten how she had woken up fresh from a nightmare right in front of Miku the other day. Miku hasn’t said anything else about it and Chris is eternally grateful for that. Honestly, sometimes— _sometimes_ , Chris thinks that she really doesn’t deserve Miku. 

Miku doesn’t look convinced but she doesn’t answer Chris either. She turns back to where the rest of their friends are with a contemplative look. Well, there _is_ another reason why she has chosen to step out of Hibiki’s side to where Chris is, away from the growing madness that’s brewing by the table. 

As if on cue, a loud crash echoed across the living room, inciting various yelps and squeals. 

Chris’s eye twitches. 

Idiots. She’s surrounded by _idiots_. 

* * *

Chris can’t sleep. 

Amidst the light snores that surround her in the dark living room (Hibiki had insisted that everyone should sleep together in the living room), Chris finds herself still wide awake. 

It’s not a rare occurrence, and Chris has learned to take it in stride (she has to, she thinks to herself). 

Sometimes, when she wakes up, she still wonders if she’s dreaming — if everything around her is real. No matter how long time has passed, there’s always a flicker of doubt in her, a tinge of apprehension bubbling below the surface, that one day, everything will come crashing down and she’ll realize that the happiness she’s experiencing right now isn’t real. 

_It’s dumb_ , she thinks. The rational part of her chides herself for even thinking that. What she’s experiencing now has got to be real. The sounds of the snores floating into her eardrums in a humorlessly irregular pattern around her, the cool dryness from the air conditioning, the smell of fresh sheets entering her nostrils, and the softness of the fluffy blanket against her skin. How could such sensations _not_ be real? 

Lying on her futon, Chris closes her eyes, trying to calm her mind. 

It doesn’t work. 

Not that she expected it to. 

She tries her damndest to not let such feelings and thoughts overwhelm her. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. 

They hadn’t explicitly told each other about their pasts — at least, Chris doesn’t feel the need or want to tell anyone about it. There are non-detailed reports about important events that have occurred; she has also managed to catch bits and pieces from overhearing things people say and by observing her friends’ reactions to certain mentioned events, but she never asks. 

And they never outright ask her. 

Well, besides Genjuro who obviously has kept more detailed records of her (and probably everyone else’s) screwed up past. 

She doesn’t miss the faraway look Tsubasa sometimes had when Amou Kanade was mentioned, nor the soft yet nostalgic smile on her senior’s face when Chris stumbles on her cleaning her motorcycle. 

The moments where she catches Miku squeezing Hibiki’s hand a tad tighter, with a reassuring expression at the corner of the room, or when Kirika and Shirabe’s old habits from their time in the F.I.S. facility accidentally surfaces. 

Sometimes, she finds also herself looking away when she sees the pained expression that Maria makes when she thinks no one is looking as she stares at her relic pendant. 

It’s almost as if it’s an unspoken rule, as if they collectively decide to respect each other to _not_ probe into them. 

And she’s ever thankful for that. 

Chris finally gives up, deciding to get up and fix herself some warm milk, if not to take her mind off her million and one thoughts. It’s just her luck that it’s one of those days where she can’t really sleep no matter how hard she tries. 

It doesn’t occur to her that someone else’s already in her kitchen until she makes out a tall figure by the sink under the dim lights. 

The tall figure immediately turns when she hears footsteps, her blue-green eyes widening slightly in surprise. 

“Chris…” 

“Can’t sleep?” Chris says ruefully as a greeting. It’s a little odd to see Maria without her signature cat-like hair buns but Chris doesn’t comment on it. 

Maria opens her mouth, trying to deny it but she pauses. Who was she kidding? 

“Yeah,” Maria finally admits. 

There’s _something_ in Maria’s eyes that Chris catches, a look that she’s used to seeing sometimes in her mirror. A weary and heavy look that borders on sorrow. It’s an achingly familiar look that’s never present whenever she’s around them but surfaces when Maria thinks no one is watching. 

All of a sudden, Chris doesn’t feel like drinking milk anymore. 

Silence reigns around them, and Chris really does not know what to say. She has never been great with words or speaking about her feelings in general. 

As if understanding the turmoil in Chris, Maria offers a friendly smile. “Care for some warm honey lemon tea?” 

* * *

Chris doesn’t know what to expect as she sits in front of Maria at the kitchen counter, sipping her tea slowly. 

The tea isn’t as sweet as she thought it’d be— in a good way. Maria does have a knack for making it. The faint taste of lemon lingers in her mouth and she finally pries her eye away from her mug, releasing her grip on its handle. 

Maria looks like she wants to say something and it isn’t hard to figure out what it is, really. Before Maria can ask the question that’s been hanging around them like a white elephant, Chris decides _to hell with it_ and speaks. 

“So, what’s wrong?” As soon as the words leave Chris’s lips she cringes at how unsure she sounded. 

“It’s nothing,” Maria says before she deflates a little. “Just a night where I’m unable to fall asleep.” 

“I get it,” Chris blurts out without thinking. She flushes slightly when Maria blinks back at her, surprised. “I-I mean, I think I understand what you mean.” Chris tries to clarify. 

Among everyone else in S.O.N.G., Chris thinks that she probably has more things in common with Maria. Being a victim of war, losing their parents, having links to Finé (to put it mildly)— Chris subconsciously grits her teeth, tensing slightly whenever she thinks about _her_ — she used to wonder how Maria coped with it all. 

(Maria doesn’t.)

“Of course you do.” Maria’s expression softens a little and Chris notices for the first time, that Maria’s right hand is clenched tightly into a fist. 

Both of them know that neither will speak too much about their past experiences. They’ve both done things, _terrible things_ that they aren’t proud of, that had (directly or not) cost the lives of innocents. Chris sure as hell can’t — she doesn’t even think she’d be able to put them into words and coherent sentences. But— 

“Sometimes, I can’t believe I’m living here in the present, living with people who care about us.” Maria’s words cut through Chris, resonating deeply within her. 

Well, it did take Chris some time to realize that she has the right to be happy, the right to go to school and have friends. 

“The past… won’t change...” Chris bites her inner lip. No matter how she wishes and regrets her past actions, she knows that what had happened has already happened, and the only way is to accept it and move forward. Doesn’t mean that she still doesn’t think or brood over it. But it’s because of what she has experienced that led to the present, to this very moment where she’s able to spend time with her friends in her own apartment. 

“...but the future can be changed...” Maria adds on, singing softly. 

For some reason, Chris almost laughs. _Right_. The unison song. 

She had always admired the way Maria has always been able to stand up again, facing her weaknesses despite having fallen countless times. Even if she suffered thousands of wounds, she didn’t run away. 

She doesn’t know Maria’s— or her friends’ — full story but it seems like everyone’s doing their best to move forward. 

There are bad days for sure— days where it seems like everything is too overwhelming, days where the invisible pain will strike her all of sudden, leaving her raw and feeling hopeless. But, there will be even more days where she’ll experience joy and normalcy in her life (or as normal being a wielder can be). 

Seeing the soft smile on Maria’s face now, Chris can’t help the slight smile curling up her lips. 

By some mutual and silent agreement, the pair starts to drift off to other topics. 

It isn’t as if they’ll be able to fall asleep anyway. 

They end up staying up all night talking. 

About their friends, exchanging stories about Kirika and Shirabe’s shenanigans, as well as stories about Tsubasa during her time in London, and about her and Maria during their concert rehearsals. (It turns out that Maria has _a lot_ to say about “how uncute that sword is” at times. Chris figures that Maria’s just lying to herself. She also _really_ doesn’t need to know that her senior keeps 20 sets of samurai themed underwear.) 

It’s also nice to talk to someone on days like this, Chris thinks. 

When dawn arrives, its morning rays filtering through the kitchen curtains, Chris finds herself yawning out loud. 

It’s also then that someone enters the kitchen, looking surprised to find both Chris and Maria sitting by the counter, with near-empty mugs in front of them. 

“...Maria? And Yukine too?” 

“Good morning, Tsubasa.” Maria sounds unperturbed, giving the newcomer a wave. Chris merely grunts out a noncommittal greeting, eyelids already drooping slightly as the exhaustion finally catches up to her. 

“What are you two doing here together so early in the morning?” 

If Chris had been fully cognizant, she would’ve thrown those words back at Tsubasa. And maybe added that this was how early it was when Tsubasa came knocking on her door the day before. 

“Nothing~” Maria now has a grin on her face when she recognizes the slight pout on Tsubasa's face. Really, that sword can be so adorable sometimes. “We ended up talking the entire night, that’s all.” 

“That’s— How unfair.” Tsubasa is definitely pouting now. “You could have invited me too. I would have liked to talk to both you and Yukine too.” 

Maria resists the urge to laugh. For someone who seems to be the epitome of coolness, Tsubasa is so cute sometimes. Not that she’ll ever tell Tsubasa that. 

“Maybe next time.” Maria winks at the girl. Her gaze falls on Chris who has been oddly silent. She belatedly realizes that the younger girl had already dozed off. The nest of silver hair bobbed slightly down and Maria’s expression softens at the sight. 

“C’mon, your kouhai has already fallen asleep. Help me get her to the futon,” Maria says. 

Tsubasa finally relents, letting out a short sigh. 

“Alright.” 

Together, they manage to get Chris on Tsubasa’s back, and the latter easily carries the girl back to the living room, where everyone is still asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i also kind of want to focus on chris with each member of S.O.N.G. this chapter's mostly about maria and chris. change the future is a great song and i'd imagine that it's through the song that they're able to say things that they don't know how to/unable to say out loud to each other
> 
> honestly can't wait for tears of peacemaker and bayonet charge events amongst others to come on xd unlimited en,,, might end up writing something for tears of peacemaker soon. maybe. or get to reading bayonet charge.

**Author's Note:**

> i just want chris to be happy
> 
> also, xv hype!!!!


End file.
